Leap and the Net Will Appear: The Benefit of Taking Risks
Recently I was interviewed by ShoutOut LA and one of their questions was “How do you think about risk?”
My answer is -- I think about it positively . . . Now!
In the article I talked about how I started my business. Back when I was working at an agency, I was eager to make the leap into a psychotherapy private practice and had been developing (what I thought was) a solid plan. However, when the time came, all of my best-laid plans went awry, and, I ended up walking out of my last agency job three months earlier than planned (no bridges burned though)!
What did I do? After freaking out, I gathered my courage, called around town and found an office to sublet. Then, I overcame my intense fears of cold calling, and, subsequently, called every therapist, priest and doctor in town to tell them about my services. I did this by reminding myself that the clients who really needed me wouldn’t be able to find me if they didn’t know I existed! I thought about how I might make their lives easier. Not to be cocky -- I’ll say what I did took some pure, old-fashioned courage!
How did it work out? Pretty well. I went from zero to 30 clients in five months(!), which is almost unheard of in my field.
I took a risk, and it paid off in terms of my business -- but I also gained confidence and pride in myself for going for it! I’d accomplished something, and I put myself in a new situation where I felt happier and engaged. And these things -- confidence, pride and greater satisfaction are all benefits of taking even a small risk, as Dr. Rochelle Perper notes in her article about The Psychological Benefits of Risk Taking. Other benefits she lists include: learning to do things you might not otherwise learn, spurring your creativity and developing emotional resilience.
To reap these benefits if you’re not usually a risk-taker, think about starting small: Take a class, give a compliment, join a group, confide in a friend! As internet-meme wisdom tells us “Outside your comfort zone is where the magic happens,” so practice taking risks!
Geared up and ready to take some risks on my dirt bike!
